O.S.C.E. Mission launches trial monitoring network

The OSCE Mission to Moldova launched Tuesday a national trial observation network to raise civil society’s understanding of court procedures and to enhance citizens’ trust in the judicial system. Thus, 30 senior law students and junior lawyers, as well as NGO representatives who have just been trained as trial monitors, received their certificates on Tuesday evening. The head of the OSCE Mission to Moldova, William Hill, said that this project will help the implementation of new standards next year, new legislation in national courts, and thus the partnership between government and civil society will develop. He noted that population will know better how the judiciary is working in Moldova. Speaking about the Moldovan judicial system, Hill underlined that „there is some progress, but much work still must be done.” The member of the Superior Council of Magistracy, Raisa Botezatu, said that observers must be trained, have deep knowledge of proceedings, watch if all sides respect these provisions during trial and, not the last, be fair and unbiased. She noted that the implementation of this project will favour society, sides and courts because it will reveal problems that halt the insurance of the publicity principle at trials. The start of the monitoring is set for April 2006, lasting until April 2007. Members of the network will monitor the application of substantive legal protection in the areas of trafficking, domestic violence, crimes against the administration of justice, and corruption. The trial monitoring project was launched in partnership with the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, American Bar Association (ABA/CEELI), the Institute for Penal Reform, the Superior Council of Magistracy and the Office of the General Prosecutor.